I'm looking around for an e-kit, budget will be somewhere around £800-£1000. I'm not too bothered about realistic feel as I haven't sat behind a kit for about 12 years and I don't see a scenario where I'll be aquiring an acoustic set anytime soon.

As I've been reading around here and other places on the net it seems most of you guys are more concerned with trigger inputs so you can expand your kit....my problem is finding a brain with more audio outputs, as I'd prefer to record direct. I've only come across a couple with 4 outs, ideally I would like 6 or 8, do they exist?

I realise I could USB to a VST or midi up a sampler but if possible I want to go this way.

Tbh something like the DM5 would probably do but it's only 4 outs - as I've looked further up the financial scale (DTX540k, TD11KV) it doesn't get any better....so I was thinking there may be a more expensive brain I could marry with a cheap kit....am I nuts?

You are nuts, why so much outputs? You can record with a Midi To USB cable, And use the midi to trigger Addictive drums, superior drums, or something else (up to 16 triggers).
or just use the line output the record the whole thing in one. And i alsto think its impossible to adress differents sounds to different outputs.

The top end modules from Yamaha and Roland (DTX900, TD30) have individual outs for each drum pad..however, when using these outs, I believe any internal change you've made to the kit (reverb, compression, etc..) does not get sent to these outs...

I'm looking around for an e-kit, budget will be somewhere around £800-£1000. I'm not too bothered about realistic feel as I haven't sat behind a kit for about 12 years and I don't see a scenario where I'll be aquiring an acoustic set anytime soon.

As I've been reading around here and other places on the net it seems most of you guys are more concerned with trigger inputs so you can expand your kit....my problem is finding a brain with more audio outputs, as I'd prefer to record direct. I've only come across a couple with 4 outs, ideally I would like 6 or 8, do they exist?

I realise I could USB to a VST or midi up a sampler but if possible I want to go this way.

Tbh something like the DM5 would probably do but it's only 4 outs - as I've looked further up the financial scale (DTX540k, TD11KV) it doesn't get any better....so I was thinking there may be a more expensive brain I could marry with a cheap kit....am I nuts?

Take a look at the DTX900 module it has the option for 8 individual outputs for multi-track recording of the internal drum sounds.

You are nuts, why so much outputs? You can record with a Midi To USB cable, And use the midi to trigger Addictive drums, superior drums, or something else (up to 16 triggers).
or just use the line output the record the whole thing in one. And i alsto think its impossible to adress differents sounds to different outputs.

In an actual recording situation, you would want each instrument on its separate track. That's why. The engineer will be working his mojo on your drum parts with his outboard gear.

You are nuts, why so much outputs? You can record with a Midi To USB cable, And use the midi to trigger Addictive drums, superior drums, or something else (up to 16 triggers).
or just use the line output the record the whole thing in one. And i alsto think its impossible to adress differents sounds to different outputs.

+1

With the right skills and right software (both of which are pretty easy to come by), you can easily put each MIDI instrument (individual pad triggers, if that's what you want) on a separate track for separate processing. According to this video it appears to be one command in Logic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX6ocOW7yDo

Plus the flexibility of VST's is staggering. Finally, if for some crazy reason you're in love with your module sounds, you can have your recorded MIDI tracks trigger your module sounds. If you're recording e-drums, MIDI is definitely the way to go.

I'd like to offer some ideas, but I am confused by what you are looking to do. Are you recording the audio sounds from sound modules or the midi signals? If you are using an all electric setup, then you should be able to record any number of midi tracks and then you will have each 'drum' is on it's own track, and you have a lot of options (kits) for playback. If you are recording the sound from a sound module, and want to map each 'drum' sound to an audio sound output, then i understand the concept, but don't really know why you would want that. I have seen recording with 16+/- 'live' recorded midi tracks as well as recordings with numerous live acoustic drum tracks. Remember, in the final mixdown, the engineer will play back the midi tracks to a sound module (or audio file channel tracks) to a stereo (or surround) recording.

Thanks for all the responses, and the suggestions for modules to look up.

Yes I realise that I could hook up a VST but I really don't want to do that if I can possibly avoid it - I'd like less time clicking a mouse, not more. It's bad enough using an e-kit because an acoustic isn't viable, that seems like another step further removed....

Quote:

Originally Posted by beyondbetrayal

I own a TD20 with 8 outputs and the only output i use from it is midi...

What a waste of outputs......wait, you only use midi? so I could pick up an old DM5 module and we could swap, right? ;)

Thanks for all the responses, and the suggestions for modules to look up.

Yes I realise that I could hook up a VST but I really don't want to do that if I can possibly avoid it - I'd like less time clicking a mouse, not more. It's bad enough using an e-kit because an acoustic isn't viable, that seems like another step further removed....

What a waste of outputs......wait, you only use midi? so I could pick up an old DM5 module and we could swap, right? ;)

LOL!!! i had a dm5..

the td20 is a superior system.. and it works well.. it triggers very nice... the dm5 had double triggers, miss hits... the td20 seems to pick up EVERYTHING and pretty accurate.

one thing.. and the main reason i didn't upgrade to a td30 is the sounds... even with v-expressions.. they don't sound close to a good vst.

have a 250gb library right now.. That's why vst's are the best option. for me any ways.. you can have 127 layers of velocity with many different hits at each level. of REAL recordings.

if I used the 8 outputs from the td20.. for starters.. id have all toms on one track. it would sound like a tdw-20.. and also your stuck with the sounds you use..

midi is easy to edit, sounds amazing with the right VST... and if i don't like a drum or cymbal or something i can just swap it out.

on that note.. I get what your trying to do.. the learning curve is large and you need an extra laptop/pc to use. and maybe a few clicks haha..

some modules allow EQ,Compression, effects and panning on the module itself.. then you can record stereo out. (the Roland TD-12 does this) You are pretty much stuck with what you have at that point but for what it is you can get it sounding pretty good.

Yeah I understand the appeal of VST's, and in a lot of ways it's probably the more professional way to go.

The modules that do have enough outputs would eat my budget and leave nothing over for pads.

I think I might just try the midi > sampler route. Could take a bit of setting up, but once it is things should be plain sailing. I have an Akai S2000 sat there, not worth selling for what they go for these days, and it has 10 outputs....

If you want to still go with your original route, I have an older yamaha Dtxtreme IIS, which used tend to sit around $1200. It has 8 - 1/4" individual outputs, midi output, or 2- 1/4" stereo outputs, or even can run a single mono 1/4" output.

It took me about a year to set up my DM5 to get a killer sound, and get rit of miss hits and double triggering, playing that thing for over 5 years now, Never had any regrets of that thing :P

you just have to set it up correctly

its not a setup thing for me. I had my DM5 for years. used it live jams whatever. All i was getting at is it was pretty good.. but not perfect. and the samples were not the best.. the Roland I could seriously just plug any old trigger into it and worked out of the box. the sounds were much better... but still not a vst.

with 8 outputs I guess you could treat it like 8 mics... and move one instrument to each one... problem is I have 7 tom pads on my td20 (aux ports) so I could do it if i wanted to use half my kit lol

If you want to still go with your original route, I have an older yamaha Dtxtreme IIS, which used tend to sit around $1200. It has 8 - 1/4" individual outputs, midi output, or 2- 1/4" stereo outputs, or even can run a single mono 1/4" output.

Thanks for the offer, but I'm in the UK, so with shipping and duties it'll be close to double that. Plus my funds are tied up for the moment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yamaha41

Roland modules have a record button I use that and turn down the pad volume on the pads I don't want to record and track each one alone replaying the recorded track in the module.

The problem with outputs is you would have to match each output of the module to an input on the recording source and that gets expensive.
Midi is the better way to go in my opinion. Unless you have a full professional studio and lots of $$$ available.